Characteristics of Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of Infants in Selected Villages at Dhamrai

Abstract

Infants are the most vulnerable group among all the age groups in our society. Breastfeeding decisions and practices are influenced by multiple factors including knowledge, attitude and beliefs. This rural based cross sectional descriptive study carried out among 320 mothers having infant up to 1 year of selected villages at Dhamrai from 7th August to 31th January 2014, to determine the characteristics of feeding practices and nutritional status of infants. Near fifty percent infants belonged to age group 9-12 months and of them one third were more than 8 kg. Regarding feeding status 284(88.8%) of respondents got colostrums bit about fifty-five percent mother did not know the benefit of exclusive breastfeeding. The observation regarding complementary feeding 142(50.9%) infants were started after six months of age and the common types of complementary food were khichuri (49.7%), shagu, suji (21.5%), fruit juice (6.8%) given as family food. It was found that 208(65%) mothers were encouraged by doctors to practice weaning food. The prevalence of severe underweight and moderate underweight in the studied children were 10.9% and 14.1% respectively, the prevalence of moderate and severe wasting children was 6.2% and 3.2% respectively and the prevalence of severely and moderately stunted children were 8.3% and 10.9% respectively. Proper breastfeeding practices are effective ways for reducing infant morbidity and mortality. So it may be concluded that correct breast feeding practices should be supported and promoted to improve the well-being of infants.